Venician presentation on tap for Columbus Day dinner

A presentation on the city of Venice, Italy, is scheduled for the annual Columbus Day dinner sponsored by Helper's Italian-American lodge, Stella D'America.

The event will take place Oct. 9, at the Helper Civic Auditorium beginning at 1:30 p.m.

The presentation will be made by Ona Siporin of Utah State University. Siporin is the 2005 recipient of the Albert J. Colton Research Award from the Utah Humanities Council.

She will speak and read about her work in progress, "The Boat Knows the Way Back", a biography-memoir of the Venetian artist and architect, Pino Zennaro.

Siporin will present an inside look at the lives of post World War II Veterans, through the eyes of Zennaro, whose family has lived in the city for over 1,000 years. Augmented by historical context, the Siporin presentation offers an intimate view of the culture behind the famous public face of the city.

This Columbus Day dinner has been an annual affair of the Helper lodge for more than 90 years, noting the famous Italian explorer, Christopher Columbus, as well as the anniversary date of the Columbian Federation of Italian-American Societies.

Lodge officers extend a cordial welcome for guests to attend the dinner, asking that reservations be made by calling 472-5297.